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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Detective Canary and the Case of the Confounding Conundrum

Where oh where has my knitting time gone?Oh where, oh where can it be?

I'm confounded by this conundrum: Ostensibly, the days-getting-longer approaching springtime should instill a vigour and energy, wherein my knitting-self desires nothing better than said craft, and there exists oodles of time upon which to work with the yarnny magic.

But by some devious workings of the universe, I come home everyday, perform what I believe to be the tasks I always have, and suddenly it's sleepytimes for me.

And so another week begins in the CanaryHomestead, with renewed goals and ever-growing lists of To-Do. I think topping the list is discovering where that off-switch exists, that one that makes your mind stop racing and jumping and shouting ideas at you while you try to fall to a slumber. (maybe it's that switch by my kitchen door which, seemingly, has no detectable purpose!)

/end whining

My Curious Minds Want To Know:

If you were going to knit yourself a wedding shawl*, which pattern would you choose?

I have a few ideas stowed away so far:LaminariaThis pretty shawl has been on my to-knit list since it was published in Knitty last spring. Something about those cool little curving end-bits really intrigues me, and I think it looks real purdy. I particularly enjoy how it's got two sizes in the pattern to choose from (I prefer the smaller).The triangular shape isn't usually my bag, but in this instance, I believe I can live with it.

Oh, the sacrifices one makes for beautiful fashion.

AeolianAlso by the same designer, and published in this spring's Knitty, Aeolian is mondo rawkin. It's got some of the same great design elements as Laminaria, and added to the fun is the suggestion of adding beads to the knit itself. I like the intricacy of the floral edging. Would look pretty dramatic when spread out, across one's shoulders.Methinks it might also make for a pretty elegant scarf to wear after the nuptials are all said and done.

Luna Moth ShawlThis shawl, being of a simpler lace repeat, is a lot less intimidating. Not that I've never knit lace before, but I'm not used to knitting to actual, real life deadlines. Given, I do have over a year to knit this baby, but I've been known to procratiknit. It's certainly not unheard of (ahem - Bee Sweater been on the needles for like, two years! *cough*cough)

Snow PeacockThis guy is a bit different - the whole wrappy thing taken to another level. I like the wide undulations along the bottom edge. I'm also a fan of the feather-like qualities of the lace pattern.It's particularly appropriate, since the full title of the knit is Snow Peacock Bridal Veil.The designer, Tonks who you've probably heard of, has some kickass knits to her design-name.

In The PinkA cute shawl such as this must be knit at some point - just not sure if it's got the right, "tone", for a wedding shawl. What d'ya think?I really love the swirls, and like the knit above, I enjoy the wrap-around-your-shoulders design.

or

IcarusLike the Snow Peacock above, I dig the feathery quality of the lace design.My mind, she's no made up.

*shawl can be substituted for stole, wrap, or any other kind of lacey prettiness which one can drape and/or wrap around oneself in an artful and, dare I say, graceful manner.

So I guess the two big questions are:Which one best matches the wedding dress style?Which ones can you knit in time for the wedding?(and maybe also: Which one is likely to be used again throughout your life?)

For my wedding, I knit a simple stole in Print O' the Wave pattern. It was in laceweight alpaca on size 3's and took me forever, but it was simple enough that I could memorize the pattern and knit it everywhere over the months I was working on it.

Just as a contrast, I'm making an Aeolian shawl now. It's on size 6s, so it's going much faster, but I have to pay so much attention to the pattern that it's a real drag, and I keep making little mistakes (and taking forever to fix them) because the pattern charts are all separated

I ended up wearing my Icarus for my wedding and loved it. Aeolian and Laminaria are also beautiful. Well, they're all beautiful, but I'd personally narrow it down to one of those three. Good luck deciding!

I really like the Aeolian shawl, the Snow Peacock shawl, and the Icarus shawl. I'd definitely check the pattern against your dress, the lines of some of the shawls might clash with the line of the dress. Good luck choosing!

Hi! Just barging through to say I like the Aeolian best of the ones you listed -- but have you seen the Hanami Stole? It's a rectangular wrap, and the lace isn't so traditional, but loveable nonetheless.

The Aeolian shawl is so lovely and interesting, ie the pattern changes from the beginning to end. On the other hand all the others in your round-up are gorgeous too! Maybe decide on some characteristics first, then you can narrow down. Like what kind of motif you like (geometric, swirly, small, large, floral, leafy), how open you want the lace to be, shape of shawl, whether you want one or more lace patterns in it, how you want to "match" to dress, etc. If you are going to be photographed in the shawl, I'd think that the same warning as for veils applies--the shadow of the pattern on your skin can look like acne or other weird skin things, so beware.

Aeolian, definitely, but if you were interested in something else, I love Gail (Nightsongs), or an Evelyn Clark triangle, maybe Sunshine and Shadows.

I'm currently taking a break from trying to design a triangular lace shawl. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but it's harder than I expected. I have a newfound appreciation for all the well written and beautiful shawl patterns out there.

Like the majority here, I choose the Aeolian. It's so gorgeous! I've never knit anything like this before and it looks somewhat challenging. I know you're up for it. What an incredible list to choose from!